Ep 718 (6 Mar 1991)
Synopsis Ben's marital problems with Carly are working wonders for his running times, it seems. Grant is struggling to keep up with him as they run on the beach. Haydn is also around and is a little surprised to see Sophie has come looking for him. They go to the diner to talk. They're the first customers of the day - Matt is only just opening up. Haydn tells Sophie he wasn't trying to race her off last night. He wanted to show her how important she was to him and wanted to take things one step further. Sophie explains why she ran out and mentions how her girlfriends were cast aside once their guys got what they wanted. Haydn said he'd never do that to her. Sophie thinks that when his parents next go away, they can have a quiet dinner for two... That's not going to happen though - he breaks the news to her that his parents came back early from their break. They're not going to get back together again and his mother will be moving back to the city. He has decided he will return to live with her. He isn't 100% sure if he's doing the right thing and hasn't told his dad yet. Alf is keen to get his back yard cleared up today and is cooking breakfast for everyone. The phone rings - it's Rachel looking for Blake. She is calling from a phone box and has told Josh (who's standing right outside) that she's ringing a female friend. They make arrangements to meet on the beach later. Haydn tells Michael that he will be going back to the city to live with Cynthia. The news isn't that much of a shock to him because it is what Haydn had said he would do all along. Michael still thinks he's making a mistake though. He talks the reasons through with Haydn and says he should make the right decisions for him, not for his mother. Even though Haydn is happy in Summer Bay, he feels his mother needs him more than Michael does at the moment. He says he might come back once his mum is on her feet. Pippa comforts an upset Sophie. She wonders if he'd have decided stay if she'd gone along with him last night. Pippa doesn't think he's as heartless as that. When she goes upstairs to wash her face, Carly wastes no time in telling Pippa she and Michael should get back together again now that the coast is clear. Pippa doesn't think Carly's the right person to be dishing out advice, given the problems she is having with Ben. Alf's cooked breakfast has mostly gone down a storm at home. Mostly, because Blake is miles away and has barely touched his food. He seems to have missed the bit about him and Alf doing a big back yard clean-up today and looks like he'd gladly dodge his duties if given half a chance. After leaving Karen to do his chores the other day, Alf and Ailsa aren't going to let him pull that stunt again today. Alf estimates that if they get stuck into the work now, they should be finished by five o'clock. Blake is horrified. No date with Rachel and worse still, he's going to have to ask a disapproving have to ask Karen for a favour. She reluctantly agrees to meet Rachel and tell her Blake will meet her at seven. Cynthia drops back the keys to her caravan and tells Pippa she definitely is leaving this time. She admits that trying to reconcile with Michael was useless. He had already met Pippa and in any case, he hadn't loved her for a long time. As she walks out the door, she says Michael is worried that she'd used her arrival as an excuse to dump him and that he's scared she was looking for a way out. Pippa says that's just not true. Cynthia smiles and says she didn't think so. She says Grant and Ailsa try to convince Carly to talk to Ben. It's like talking to a brick wall though. A rather hungover Donald comes into the Diner and is teased by Grant over his somewhat fragile state. Donald says he's glad they caught up before he sets off for Timboon. Grant is still adamant he's not going. Donald thinks he definitely will. Patricia is a determined woman and if she says he's going, he's going. Sophie brings Karen up to speed over what happened the previous night in the caravan with Haydn. Karen has things on her mind too. She isn't happy about Blake going out with Rachel, or that she now has to meet her and change their date. Rachel waits outside the Surf Club for Blake but there's no sign of him. Or of Karen for that matter.. Ben calls into the Diner to talk to Carly. The pair of them are still in a deadlock though. He wants to know when she will be moving out to the farm. She wants to know when he'll be coming home. Ben reminding her that she's his wife and that she promised to '"love, honour and obey" probably isn't the best of strategies either. Ben storms out. Sophie and Karen belatedly realise the time. It's much later than they thought it was. They rush to the Surf Club to find Rachel. She has obviously tired of waiting for Blake and gone. How is Karen going to explain this to Blake? Haydn says his goodbyes to Blake who's still hard at work in Alf's back yard. Speaking of goodbyes, Cynthia is nearly ready to leave. After Michael puts the last of her things into the car, he gives her maintenance money. She reminds to write to Kate and not to keep Pippa dangling. Michael is onto that last remark like a shot. Cynthia advises him not to let her slip through her fingers and that she's very fond of him. When Michael asks how does she know this, she says "women's intuition". Haydn says his goodbyes to Sophie and has two things for her. One is money so she can get her TV back from the pawn shop. The other is a locket he got with money from his mother. They cut some of each other's hair and put it into it. As he leaves the house, he tells her he loves her. Karen tells Blake she didn't get to meet Rachel and pass on the message. Unsurprisingly he is furious and has some choice things to say to her. Michael goes in search of Pippa and finds her sitting reading a book. After slightly nervously asking her if the place beside her is taken, he sits down beside her. They don't say a lot but they don't need to. Are things back on track with those two? Meanwhile, Blake has decided to risk going to the Webb's house to talk to Rachel and is skulking in the undergrowth outside. Bad move - he has been spotted by Josh and ends the episode in a headlock. Cast *Ben Lucini - Julian McMahon *Haydn Ross - Andrew Hill *Sophie Simpson - Rebekah Elmaloglou *Matt Wilson - Greg Benson *Ailsa Stewart - Judy Nunn *Alf Stewart - Ray Meagher *Blake Dean - Les Hill *Karen Dean - Belinda Jarrett *Carly Lucini - Sharyn Hodgson *Donald Fisher - Norman Coburn *Michael Ross - Dennis Coard *Pippa Fletcher - Debra Lawrance Guest Cast *Grant Mitchell - Craig McLachlan *Cynthia Ross - Belinda Giblin *Rachel Webb - Beth Champion *Josh Webb - Erick Mitsak - * Writer - Kit Oldfield * Director - Michael Sergi * Series Producer - Andrew Howie * Exec Producer - Des Monaghan Prev Ep Ep 717 (5 Mar 1991) Next Ep Ep 719 (7 Mar 1991) Category:1991 episodes.